GEMS FROM JEREMIAH (5) “A fly on the wall of heaven”

 


Texts: 1 Kings 22.19-23, Jeremiah 23.9-32, 1.4-10

     From the beginnings of Israel, there was a constant threat of someone prophesying falsely in Yahweh’s name (cf. Dt. 13; 18.20-22).  The first basic criterion for a legitimate prophecy was that it actually came true – how long the waiting period should be for the fulfillment of the controversial oracle never seems to have been officially determined, however (as Jeremiah would painfully discover during 40 years of predicting disaster).  True prophets, like Micaiah (1 Kings 22) and Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 28.1-17), had to contend with false prophets who told the king/people what they wanted to hear.  A fundamental aspect of genuine prophetic work was always telling people the opposite of what they believed.  What could possibly go wrong?

     In chapter 23, Yahweh tells Jeremiah the (second) prerequisite for prophesying truthfully – standing in “the council of the LORD”; i.e., attending sessions of the heavenly inner circle where decisions are made and oracles are released.[1]  God’s council is composed of those beings that Yahweh has mandated to execute his will in the world (cf. Ps. 82), and it is in these meetings of the “celestial cabinet” that the “word of the LORD” is seen and heard (cf. Jer. 1.2, 4, 11, 13, etc.).  As a “delegate” (cf. Ex. 20.18-22) to the divine council (invitation only!), Jeremiah can intercede with God on behalf of his people and transmit messages from the cosmic council-chamber to the people.  This fits in with overall biblical cosmology which sees “heaven” as being the “control room” of “earth” (cf. Dt. 26.15; Mt. 3.17, etc.).

     There is of course a third qualification of a true prophet – that of being opposed, hated, rejected and persecuted (cf. Mt. 5.10-12; Lk. 6.22-23, 26)!  As Jeremiah is first ushered into the divine council chamber to receive his commission as a prophet (Jer. 1.4-10), he balks to hear that he has been “appointed a prophet to the nations”.  He protests that he is too young and does not know how to speak[2] (Jeremiah was probably in his twenties, presumably not having yet been ordained a priest, which traditionally happened at the age of 30; cf. Jer. 1.1)[3].  Yahweh, not for the last time, tells Jeremiah not to be afraid, but to go to all to whom I send you to speak whatever I command you.  The LORD tells Jeremiah that he has been appointed “to pluck up and to pull down”, a reference to the people being “uprooted” from the land and sent into exile (cf. 2 Chr. 7.20; Jer. 45.4).  Indeed, Jer. 1.10 is a thematic refrain which will be repeated at several key points throughout the book.  There is hope however – the last of the six verbs in this verse is “(re)plant”.  Being uprooted is not the last word concerning the destiny of the people of God.


[1] Brown, Michael L. “Jeremiah” in Longman & Garland, eds. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary 7: Jeremiah-Ezekiel, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010, pp. 317-18; cf. Goldingay, John, The Theology of Jeremiah: The Book, the Man, the Message, Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2021, pp. 115-17.

[2] Cf. Exodus 4.10, where Moses offers God a similar excuse at the burning bush.  There are many parallels between Moses and Jeremiah, including the fact that they both served as prophets for a 40-year period.

[3] Goldingay, John, The Theology of Jeremiah, Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2021, p. 4.

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